Losing weight at 1800 cals per day?
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I recently upped my calories from about 1400 per day to 1775. I had been on weight watchers and lost 49.5 lbs in 6 months then stalled out that close to 50. Toyed with the same 3 lbs, gained 3 then lost 2 then lost another one just to gain the three back again. Never getting to 50 lbs lost and never gaining back more than three. After 5 months of that I decided to try MFP and was on here I guess a little over a month and a half. Still the same results. Upped my calories last week and weighed in this week. 50.2 lbs lost. So far, so good.
Fantastic and inspiring! Thanks for sharing
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I must admit that after years of eating few calories and working out, it's a little scary to think that I will now eat 1800 cals per day. I understand that everyone is different but I also know that our needs change over time. I was able to lose the weight before by eating that way but it just doesn't seem to work anymore. That's why, I guess, I have been staying on this plateau. Thinking that if it worked before, it'll be just a matter of time that it works again. But, I a,so know the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time!
So, once again, thanks for sharing your thoughts, experience and knowledge! You guys are awesome!0 -
On loads of food packets in the UK it is stated that the RDA for a woman is 2000 calories.
So adjusting things for height, weight and activity 1,800 should give weight loss for most woman.
1,800 calories is higher than most diets but then its lower than what most woman eat when not trying to lose weight. You should get a slow and steady weight loss on 1,800 but be aware that a woman's weight changes through natural cycles so you may put on a little bit some weeks but this will be compensated by a greater loss other weeks.
This is one thing that escapes people's attention - if 2000 is the daily recommended amount, most women should be able to lose weight eating between 1600-1800.0 -
I'm still nursing my baby about 4 times a day and he is 14 months. Anyhow, I noticed that I probably burn about 300 to 500 calories a day and I am only able to lose weight if I keep my calories under 1,800 per day. Now...if I add in about a half hour of cardio then I can bump it up to 2000. I'm looking to lose another 10 lbs. If I was sedentary and not nursing I'd probably keep my limit at 1,500 per day....with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. I think it's more important to look at the quality of the food...I can eat sooooo much more food when it's fruits and veggies and still not hit my calorie limit...it's the high fat/sugar comfort foods that really get me. Anywho...good luck to all of you out there! 0
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I have been watching these post with interest. But what about us older people. Would it make any difference if your older and not hardly as active as the younger ones are? I don't do the zumba and alot of the harder exercises. Mostly walking....
Just wondered if anyone has an opinion for us folks too!!0 -
reading this with interest as I haven't lost - well gained a couple of pounds in fact - over the last 6 weeks....driving me mad. My cals were set at 1200 a day but i think that was way too low. I want to loose 14 pounds - am 5ft 6" and exercise 4 times a week never less than an hour (normally about 600-800cals a time) and at weekend been burning 1200 cals on average in one running session. I've upped cals as a lot of exercise on setting but don't understand it really....it's now on 1480 i think.0
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I have been watching these post with interest. But what about us older people. Would it make any difference if your older and not hardly as active as the younger ones are? I don't do the zumba and alot of the harder exercises. Mostly walking....
Just wondered if anyone has an opinion for us folks too!!
You actually have a better chance of not sabotaging your body by undereating and over exercising.
For you, those walks are exactly the type of exercise that pulls mainly from fat stores (unless you are doing 9% incline and 4mph and HR is 150 bpm!), and therefore does NOT need to be re-fed.
Your BMR estimate is going to be just as accurate as anyone else outside healthy weight - meaning it's not as accurate, but you must start somewhere. As you keep going down in weight, that estimated healthy BMR value is more accurate.
So, to have MFP keep giving estimates of weight loss each day and automatically lower your goal as weight drops, do the following.
So go to MFP - Tools - BMR calc and get that figure noted.
Then go to MFP - Home - Goals and see what MFP has as your Calories Burned from normal daily activity.
Subtract BMR from daily burned - that is a very rough estimate of your range of deficit possible.
If between 200-450, you can set 1/2 lb weekly.
If between 500-740, you can set to 1 lb weekly.
If between 750-990, you can set to 1.5 lb weekly.
If above 1000, you can set to 2 lb weekly.
Now go to MFP - Settings - Diet/Fitness Profile - change weekly weight loss goal to accomplish the above math.
So if you had a range of 300, then set to 1/2 lb weekly.
Now when you walk, you can log that workout if desired, but opposite advice from intense workouts - do NOT eat back those exercise calories.
Again, as long as the walk is gentle, 3mph or slower, this is just increased daily activity and fed mainly by fat stores.
You don't even have to log them unless you just want to see the calorie burn associated with them. And walking calories burned is usually the more accurate ones.
If you start doing something more intense like 4mph walks or workouts - eat those calories back.
What will be your true weight loss potential?
The difference between your daily goal, and whatever your true daily activity is. Which is going to be much higher than 250 or 500 you saw in the math. MFP doesn't know what your true daily calorie burn is.
after a few weeks doing this - you'll know precisely what the deficit is, as your weight drops on regular basis.
You can shoot me a private message with stats if you want me to run your numbers, because you can be visually encourage even more if your activity level could be selected to be closer to what you will actually be doing.0 -
reading this with interest as I haven't lost - well gained a couple of pounds in fact - over the last 6 weeks....driving me mad. My cals were set at 1200 a day but i think that was way too low. I want to loose 14 pounds - am 5ft 6" and exercise 4 times a week never less than an hour (normally about 600-800cals a time) and at weekend been burning 1200 cals on average in one running session. I've upped cals as a lot of exercise on setting but don't understand it really....it's now on 1480 i think.
You probably gained weight when your body finally had a chance to store up depleted glucose/water stores, required weight when you think about it.
So I can't calculate your BMR since you gave no current weight, but I will say for age and height, you'd have to weigh 120 lbs for your estimated healthy BMR to be 1200.
And you are currently using up your eaten 1200 calories by about 600-800 cal a day with exercise, leaving precious little for your body to actually use for BMR functions, forget even doing repair/recovery for your body for exercise. if you have been doing this for a while, and are not hungry, you have suppressed your metabolism to the tune of that many calories. That much free calorie burn lost.
And with slower metabolism, your daily and exercise calorie burns are actually less too.
So now you don't even have the deficit that was originally estimated - hence a stall.
If you weigh more than 120 lbs, then indeed your NET calorie goal should be whatever your current BMR is.
And you should feed that workout by eating back all your exercise calories. Feed the body to get stronger, why else would you be exercising after all? To create a deficit? Did you set MFP up to do that already? Did you select a weekly weight loss goal?
Then you did already.
If you want to tackle this from the direction of eating at maintenance, and letting your workouts create the deficit, you can do that too very easily, just ask, I'll explain.0 -
I have been watching these post with interest. But what about us older people. Would it make any difference if your older and not hardly as active as the younger ones are? I don't do the zumba and alot of the harder exercises. Mostly walking....
Just wondered if anyone has an opinion for us folks too!!
You actually have a better chance of not sabotaging your body by undereating and over exercising.
For you, those walks are exactly the type of exercise that pulls mainly from fat stores (unless you are doing 9% incline and 4mph and HR is 150 bpm!), and therefore does NOT need to be re-fed.
Your BMR estimate is going to be just as accurate as anyone else outside healthy weight - meaning it's not as accurate, but you must start somewhere. As you keep going down in weight, that estimated healthy BMR value is more accurate.
So, to have MFP keep giving estimates of weight loss each day and automatically lower your goal as weight drops, do the following.
So go to MFP - Tools - BMR calc and get that figure noted.
Then go to MFP - Home - Goals and see what MFP has as your Calories Burned from normal daily activity.
Subtract BMR from daily burned - that is a very rough estimate of your range of deficit possible.
If between 200-450, you can set 1/2 lb weekly.
If between 500-740, you can set to 1 lb weekly.
If between 750-990, you can set to 1.5 lb weekly.
If above 1000, you can set to 2 lb weekly.
Now go to MFP - Settings - Diet/Fitness Profile - change weekly weight loss goal to accomplish the above math.
So if you had a range of 300, then set to 1/2 lb weekly.
Now when you walk, you can log that workout if desired, but opposite advice from intense workouts - do NOT eat back those exercise calories.
Again, as long as the walk is gentle, 3mph or slower, this is just increased daily activity and fed mainly by fat stores.
You don't even have to log them unless you just want to see the calorie burn associated with them. And walking calories burned is usually the more accurate ones.
If you start doing something more intense like 4mph walks or workouts - eat those calories back.
What will be your true weight loss potential?
The difference between your daily goal, and whatever your true daily activity is. Which is going to be much higher than 250 or 500 you saw in the math. MFP doesn't know what your true daily calorie burn is.
after a few weeks doing this - you'll know precisely what the deficit is, as your weight drops on regular basis.
You can shoot me a private message with stats if you want me to run your numbers, because you can be visually encourage even more if your activity level could be selected to be closer to what you will actually be doing.
Ok. Interesting info...but I think I just got confused. How does this all relate to previous talks/calculations of TDEE? I sort of understood the TDEE talks but wasn't sure how to enter or track this on MFP. I thought your post would help :-/
My BMR differs depending which calculator I use. MFP calculates it at 1507; Fat2Fit says it's 1560 (Harris-Benedict formula) and 1680 (Katch-McArdle method)??
My TDEE is 2132 (told to use TDEE-15% on non-workout days=1800)
So, what am I supposed to be tracking on MFP?
Help :-/0 -
This is so interesting! I'm saving to read later!0
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Ok. Interesting info...but I think I just got confused. How does this all relate to previous talks/calculations of TDEE? I sort of understood the TDEE talks but wasn't sure how to enter or track this on MFP. I thought your post would help :-/
My BMR differs depending which calculator I use. MFP calculates it at 1507; Fat2Fit says it's 1560 (Harris-Benedict formula) and 1680 (Katch-McArdle method)??
My TDEE is 2132 (told to use TDEE-15% on non-workout days=1800)
So, what am I supposed to be tracking on MFP?
Help :-/
Well, the advice is to eat between BMR and TDEE, in her case, right at BMR, since no real intense workouts.
So your best bet BMR calc is the bodyfat% Katch at 1680. The others are estimates more accurate at healthy weight.
Congrats, you have more muscle than formulas are expecting!
If you are using a HRM and fine eating back all those exercise calories, you could net at 1700 while feeding the workout.
That makes your real deficit (if you trust the TDEE estimate anyway) 432, but likely slightly higher.
So even eating back exercise calories, pretty close to 1 lb/week loss.
So how to setup MFP to track that 1700 and lower automatically as your weight goes down?
Settings - Diet/Fitness Profile
Activity level set to Lightly Active
Set weight loss goal to 1 lb week.
Daily goal should be slightly higher than 1700.
Not when you exercise, log it and eat it.0 -
I am eating 1700 a day and loosing weight.. not a whole lot but so far so good and if it stops or slows I will lower my calories.. For now though I am eating a balanced diet and exercising a few days a week.0
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Ok. Interesting info...but I think I just got confused. How does this all relate to previous talks/calculations of TDEE? I sort of understood the TDEE talks but wasn't sure how to enter or track this on MFP. I thought your post would help :-/
My BMR differs depending which calculator I use. MFP calculates it at 1507; Fat2Fit says it's 1560 (Harris-Benedict formula) and 1680 (Katch-McArdle method)??
My TDEE is 2132 (told to use TDEE-15% on non-workout days=1800)
So, what am I supposed to be tracking on MFP?
Help :-/
Well, the advice is to eat between BMR and TDEE, in her case, right at BMR, since no real intense workouts.
So your best bet BMR calc is the bodyfat% Katch at 1680. The others are estimates more accurate at healthy weight.
Congrats, you have more muscle than formulas are expecting!
If you are using a HRM and fine eating back all those exercise calories, you could net at 1700 while feeding the workout.
That makes your real deficit (if you trust the TDEE estimate anyway) 432, but likely slightly higher.
So even eating back exercise calories, pretty close to 1 lb/week loss.
So how to setup MFP to track that 1700 and lower automatically as your weight goes down?
Settings - Diet/Fitness Profile
Activity level set to Lightly Active
Set weight loss goal to 1 lb week.
Daily goal should be slightly higher than 1700.
Not when you exercise, log it and eat it.
Thanks! BRTW, you say "...if you trust the TDEE estimate....". Are you implying that it isn't accurate? What is your take on that?0 -
Thanks! BRTW, you say "...if you trust the TDEE estimate....". Are you implying that it isn't accurate? What is your take on that?
I've seen the bell curves on the BMR studies that formulas are based on, actually pretty tight bell, not that much chance of outliers, and not much % off even if you are.
But MFP activity selector, similar to other sites TDEE calculator...
4 or 5 levels only, and that is supposed to be how close?
Never seen a study on a population being run through a TDEE calculator for an estimate, and then somehow finely analyzing their actual TDEE to see how it plays out.
I'm skeptical. I like this calculator better, that lets you enter times in the levels to get more accurate at least. Can even enter bodyfat% for more accurate Katch estimate.
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html
And even this one underestimates exercise. The Heavy level for like cardio is 7 x BMR x hrs. I just did 822 cal on spin bike, per Polar HRM correctly setup.
Even this calc says 512 cal. for that effort if it was part of TDEE estimate.
If you take total weekly activity divided by 7 days, it works a whole lot better.
Like this uses it -
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGZlcmNCNmhJWFhtUGl0ZEk1RFd1c0E
So that's why the math even coming backwards from TDEE I don't like as much, still too prone to inaccuracies one way or another, who knows, and user choice, and we probably know which way there selected if the wrong is going to be selected.
Doesn't change your setup at least, merely the estimate of what weight loss could be. But 2 or 3 weeks doing it will tell you that too.
Oh, for anyone wondering what the multipliers are and the difference between the levels.
I know sometimes just 150 (225 in first jump) on MFP so not that much off. But the other TDEE calcs, over 250 between levels. Be truly at the wrong end of a level, and you could have 1/2 lb weight loss difference.
For someone with a 1500 cal BMR estimate, selecting the different levels, here is the MFP maintenance estimate, and TDEE estimate.
MFP activity levels and multiplier and effect on 1500 BMR
Sedentary_____ 1.2 ___ 1800
Lightly Active___ 1.35 __ 2025
Active________ 1.45 __ 2175
Very Active_____ 1.55 __ 2325
TDEE activity levels and multiplier and effect on 1500 BMR
Sedentary_____ 1.2 ___ 1800
Lightly active___ 1.375 _ 2063
Mod. active____ 1.55 __ 2325
Very active_____ 1.725 _ 2588
Extra Active____ 1.9 ___ 28500 -
This is interesting! I have been plateaued for nearly 6 months (give or take a few pounds), I too, had my calories set at 1200 but would eat most of my exercise calories back. I am 180, 5'10. I work out 5-6 days a week. I teach body attack 1x week, trx straps 2x week, spin 2-3x week and I am currently training to become a Xco instructor at my gym (I will be teaching 3 classes a week) and in May I am going to be doing training to be a spin instructor. I figured at 1200 cals plus my exercise cals (averaged 500) so 1700 ish that would be good enough...but some days I would net under 1200...needless to say i was hungry and not losing. This week I have upped my calories and average eating about 1800=1900, so hopefully I will start to lose! I know that my trainer says its 85% diet and 15% exercise. I am trying to eat cleaner and more regularly<
Think this is more important than who many calories0 -
I am trying to eat cleaner and more regularly<
Think this is more important than who many calories
Except as you have proved eating at 1200 - sometimes the body just needs energy, calories, food, to work with.
Excellent workout routine, which can actually backfire when you don't eat enough as you totally burn off your glucose stores and start burning away some muscle you aren't using somewhere.
Feed it all the great recommended nutrient values, eat the most filling food, and if it's not enough energy it'll have to slow down anyway.
Your BMR by the way is 1578 by Mifflin and MFP. So good choice NETTING at least at 1600 minimum, good selection of 1700.
You could actually keep using MFP to auto-set everything, so the daily net goal goes down as the weight goes down.
Just select activity level of Slightly Active and 1lb / weekly loss, and they should set 1630 daily net - right about what you want.
I would recommend raising the level by 200 per day for about a week (a Zone or Balance bar pre-some workout), and then another 200 the week after. You want your body to see it can raise the metabolism, not store it as a gift.
I'm guessing those exercise calories are estimated by HRM, Polar?
You might find a day after a rest day to really push yourself, and figure out your true MHR and VO2max. Hopefully the Polar lets you update the VO2max, but at least the MHR it will.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/466973-i-want-to-test-for-my-max-heart-rate-vo2-max0 -
Oh, for anyone wondering what the multipliers are and the difference between the levels.
I know sometimes just 150 (225 in first jump) on MFP so not that much off. But the other TDEE calcs, over 250 between levels. Be truly at the wrong end of a level, and you could have 1/2 lb weight loss difference.
For someone with a 1500 cal BMR estimate, selecting the different levels, here is the MFP maintenance estimate, and TDEE estimate.
Interesting, just found out that MFP changed the multiplier for the Sedentary Level. MFP and every other TDEE site always uses 1.2 there, it is now 1.25.
This automatically gives some protection to not undercutting the BMR as bad when you select 1lb weight loss and Sedentary.
Interesting - perhaps they are hearing discussions of stalls and eating below BMR so much.
Anyway, new tables then.
MFP activity levels and multiplier and effect on 1500 BMR
Sedentary_____ 1.25 __ 1875
Lightly Active___ 1.35 __ 2025
Active________ 1.45 __ 2175
Very Active_____ 1.55 __ 2325
TDEE activity levels and multiplier and effect on 1500 BMR
Sedentary_____ 1.2 ___ 1800
Lightly active___ 1.375 _ 2063
Mod. active____ 1.55 __ 2325
Very active_____ 1.725 _ 2588
Extra Active____ 1.9 ___ 28500 -
When I first joined I was on 1200 cals/day. I lost 7 lbs right away, but then plateaud for almost a month. I then upped my cals to 2000/day and have started losing again. I think I lost 2-3 lbs in the last week alone. I guess my body was afraid I wasn't feeding it and held onto everything I gave it. It worked for me, but some indicate it doesn't work for them. My suggestion is try it for a few weeks, if you notice you start gaining dramatically (more than a few lbs) then trim it back some. I eat part of my exercise cals back, but not all since my exercising is figured into my daily cals because the activity level I set myself at includes exercising, and my normal daily routine. Even though I haven't exercised in a few weeks really, I have been losing again, normally I eat between 1400-1900 cals/day.0
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When I started with MFP somehow my calorie goal was set at 1200 so that was what I was trying to stick to. Having read many posts about the importance of eating back your exercise calories I started to do that too.
The past couple of weeks I seem to have stalled out so yesterday I set my weight loss goal to 1 pound a week and MFP upped my calorie goal to 1550. I try to do some form of exercise everyday. Either a 30 minute power walk, 30 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical, and some workout DVD's. I wear a HRM to determine calories burned.
I am 64 years old, 5' 4", current weight is 216 pounds. Do you think that the new calorie goal of 1550 is right for me?
Any advice gratefully accepted.0 -
The past couple of weeks I seem to have stalled out so yesterday I set my weight loss goal to 1 pound a week and MFP upped my calorie goal to 1550. I try to do some form of exercise everyday. Either a 30 minute power walk, 30 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical, and some workout DVD's. I wear a HRM to determine calories burned.
I am 64 years old, 5' 4", current weight is 216 pounds. Do you think that the new calorie goal of 1550 is right for me?
Any advice gratefully accepted.
Well, not somehow 1200. You selected sedentary and 2lb week, MFP did the math but won't suggest under 1200. So you and it seems the majority of women who of course select 2lb week all get 1200.
Well, your current BMR is 1515, so you just set your goal to protect that free burn every day! Very smart.
And once your metabolism recovers, your daily activities will take more calories too, compared to slower metabolism.
There's the real weight loss you've been missing.
Oh, that difference of 350 cal, only eat an extra 150 day each day for a week, and then add in the other 200 a day for the next week.
You want your body to see this is something to increase the metabolism, not as a gift to store in case the insanity was to continue.
And now when you eat back your HRM calorie estimate - that will actually be based on a fully burning metabolism. See, it was wrong with a slower metabolism.0
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